Restorative Justice: A Collaborative and Humane Approach to Crime

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Student Name:
Date:
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Corrections: Restorative Justice
Restorative justice can be described as a way of considering the regarding crime and criminal
justice system. In case of restorative justice, a collaborative, holistic and humane approach is
adopted. Under this approach, crime is not only considered as the breach of law but also the
violation of people, community and relationships. Under these circumstances, restorative justice
can be considered as a form of justice in which the focus is on repairing the harm that is the
result of the crime. For this purpose, under restorative justice, the offenders are held accountable
for their actions. It also provides a chance to the affected parties to address the needs and also to
look for a resolution that is in favor of reparation. Similarly, under this approach, efforts are
made to prevent further crime, victimization and harm.
There are a lot of concerts are related with the philosophy of restorative justice that can find their
bases in the legal systems of indigenous peoples and across the globe. However it needs to be
acknowledged from the very beginning that significant differences are present between the
systems and the Western approach. At the same time, restorative justice should not be confused
with restitution (Curtis-Fawley and Daly, 2005). Although it can be an element of restorative
justice, but it refers to an order that has been made for the offender and which provides that the
victim should be paid for the financial losses suffered on account of the crime committed by the
offender (R v Gladue, 1999). A reference to restorative justice in Canada may take place at
different entry points in the criminal justice system. Some of the examples that can be given in
this regard are pre-charge (referral by police), post-charge (Crown), pre-sentence (by the court)
post-sentence (corrections).